“I want everyone to know,” said Penn, “that I am the champion, and I will be defending my title in the UFC before the end of the year.” (Does this mean that he is not stripped?) BJ asked us not to reveal his potential opponent, but we can tell you that if it happens, it’s going be a superfight of epic proportions.

As for K-1, BJ has already gone on record as saying that he wants to fight Genki Sudo, whose star is definitely on the rise after crushing Royler Gracie. Ditto the Japanese media and fans, all of whom are excited by the prospect of a hometown hero in a country that hasn’t produced many aside from the great Sakuraba. But earlier, during the post-fight press conference, BJ accused Sudo of ducking him. “I don’t want to disrespect him,” he said, “but Genki was my first choice, and he didn’t accept.”